Emergency Rule Sought to Stop Park Service Slaughter of Wild Bison in Yellowstone National Park

Washington, D.C. - A diverse coalition of tribal, conservation, hunting, animal welfare and wildlife groups, an outfitting business, and concerned citizens from Montana and South Dakota, have filed an emergency rule making petition with the U.S. Department of the Interior seeking to stop the National Park Service from slaughtering wild bison inhabiting Yellowstone National Park and adjoining lands on the Gallatin National Forest in Montana.

Yellowstone is home to America's only wild bison who have continuously occupied their native habitat.

This winter, Yellowstone National Park and the State of Montana have engaged in an unprecedented slaughter or removal of over 1,550 bison that have migrated to their winter range near and beyond park borders. One-third of the entire bison herd has been wiped out with 1,284 captured and shipped to slaughterhouses on order from officials in the National Park Service and the Montana Department of Livestock under Governor Brian Schweitzer.

"The Park Service's current course is to slaughter bison without concern as to the damage being done to the genetic diversity of the distinct bison populations in Yellowstone," explains D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist with the Animal Welfare Institute. "The petition raises a red flag that unprecedented, large scale slaughtering of wild bison is jeopardizing their long term survival."

The petition presents scientific evidence of at least two genetically distinct bison populations inhabiting the park. The National Park Service currently manages the bison in the park without consideration of this evidence.

To ensure bison's long-term survival and health, the National Park Service must sustain a minimum of 2,000 bison in each distinct bison population. That number would ensure that genetic diversity is conserved - allowing bison to naturally evolve and adapt to a changing environment, and retain important survival behaviors like natural migration and selection.The coalition says the National Park Service has ignored this science and failed to adapt its bison management plan to ensure the long-term survival of each distinct bison population.

The petition, submitted under the authority of the Administrative Procedures Act, asks Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne to publish an emergency rule prohibiting the National Park Service from killing or participating in the killing of bison, or otherwise permanently removing bison from either population, when the population is reduced to 2,000 or fewer bison. Both bison populations have been reduced to fewer than 2,000 animals this winter.

"The Park Service, at the direction of Montana's livestock interests, is slaughtering one of America's most iconic wildlife species, endangering the only continuously wild, free-roaming bison population left in the U.S.," states Michael Mease, President and Co-founder of the Buffalo Field Campaign. "The public must rise up and put an end to the livestock industry dictating control over America's last wild bison herds."

The Animal Welfare Institute, headquartered in Washington, DC, is one of the nation's oldest animal welfare organizations dedicated to reducing the sum total of pain and fear inflicted on animals by humans. Buffalo Field Campaign, based in West Yellowstone Montana, is the only organization that works 365 days a year to protect Yellowstone bison.

Big Wild Adventures is owned by Howie Wolke and Marilyn Olsen who have guided and outfitted in Yellowstone National Park for 30 years.

"People come from all over the world to experience Yellowstone's unparalleled wildlands and wildlife," says wilderness guide Howie Wolke. "They don't come to see tiny remnant hemmed-in herds; they come to see the real thing, unrestricted, in real wild habitats. It's about time we treated wild buffalo and for that matter all wildlife, as though true wildness and long-term survival really matter."

Robert Hoskins of Gravelbar, a Wyoming based conservation organization.

"What we're actually seeing in Montana is a 21st century range war instituted by ranchers against wild, free-roaming bison. The solution to the so-called brucellosis problem is not to mismanage bison--to treat them like livestock--but to break the political power of Montana's ranchers to "call the shots" on bison management. Only then may wild bison roam free in Montana."

George Nell, Gardiner, MT.

"The people of Gardiner, MT truly enjoy seeing the wildlife that moves in and around their town. But, the sight of bison gives us a feeling of dread instead of happiness with the thought of hazing, capture, testing and a slaughterhouse death. That's what the present Bison Management Plan has brought to this community."

Karrie Taggart, West Yellowstone, MT and President of Horse Butte Neighbors of Buffalo.

"My only wish would be that even the most hardened of hearts and minds could experience living amongst the bison, if only for a day. It changes everything. You learn that the voice of their wisdom is silent, except to the open mind. That the bison have allowed me in their world has been the greatest honor ever granted me. I am one lucky woman."Glenn Hockett, Volunteer President, Gallatin Wildlife Association.Bison must be respected as valued native wildlife by both Yellowstone National Park and the State of Montana. We are tired of seeing federal and state government agents needlessly haze, capture and slaughter this magnificent big game species.

Dr. John Grandy, Senior Vice President of Wildlife, The Humane Society of the United States.

"For the National Park Service to condone the slaughter of these majestic creatures without regard for their continued existence is unacceptable," said Dr. John Grandy, senior vice president of Wildlife for The Humane Society of the United States. "Wild bison are magnificent symbols of the American frontier and they deserve our protection."

barb abramo, West Yellowstone, MT

"The fact that Yellowstone National Park participates in the IBMP which has done absolutely nothing beneficial for the buffalo is absolutely shameful. They are acting as the handmaiden of the livestock industry by sending over 1,200 buffalo to slaughter in contradiction to their own mandate to protect wildlife. I weep for the dead buffalo but my commitment to seeing free-roaming, wild buffalo only deepens in light of this current catastrophe."

"Today's petition throws a much need spotlight on the unnecessary and scientifically irresponsible killing of Yellowstone's buffalo. The only way to ensure wild and healthy buffalo herds in Yellowstone is to allow buffalo to migrate to their historic winter foraging habitat."

BFC's goal is to stop the slaughter and harassment of Yellowstone's wild buffalo herds, protect the natural habitat of wild free-roaming buffalo and native wildlife, and to work with people of all Nations to honor the sacredness of wild buffalo.